by Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

by Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern will look to a new face to lead the Wildcats to their first NCAA tournament berth in more than 100 years.

The school announced the firing of coach Bill Carmody on Saturday morning, ending the coach's 13-year tenure in Evanston, Ill., following the Wildcats' 13-18 season.

Northwestern has never made the NCAAs, the only program in the six power conferences never to make the field.

Carmody failed to accomplish what he set out to do upon his arrival: Take the Wildcats to the Big Dance.

Northwestern came close to hearing its name called on Selection Sunday under Carmody though, playing in the NIT four times and sparking "bubble" talk in some of those seasons.

However, Northwestern athletics director Jim Phillips decided to go in a different direction. He gathered the team together Saturday morning to break the news.

"Everyone's goal is to get in the NCAA tournament,'' Carmody said after Northwestern's season-ending loss to Iowa. "We haven't been able to accomplish that. But in a hundred years we haven't been able to accomplish that.''